Cushion



y March 14, 1939. J; N NAULTY y 2,150,747

CUSHION Filed July 25, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l UAMES N. NAULTY lNvENToR AToRNEY March 14, 1939. J. N, NAULT'Y 2,150,747

CUSHION- Filed July 23, 1956 2 Syheets-Sneet 2 ZZ J5 2z *QE 1 JZ 17 I819 l Z7 919 ZJ v JAMES N. NAULTV lNvENToR 3a' l A oRQEY 5' Patented Mar;14, 1939 UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE CUSHION.

James N. Naulty, East Orange, N. J. Application July 2s, 1936, serialNn. 92,077

A 11 claims. (c1. 155-179) This invention relates to cushions generallyand in vparticular to seat cushions for buses and the like.

Important objects of the invention are to pro- 5 vide a cushionstructure which will have the desired resiliency and whichA will retainsuch resiliency practically indefinitely.

Other objects of the invention' are to'provide a cushion structurehaving the characteristics men- 10 tioned, which may be readilymanufactured, at low cost and which will be useful for a great varietyof purposes. r

The -foregoing and other desirableobjectsare attained in this inventionby the novel features l5 of construction, combinations and relations ofparts hereinafter described, illustrated in the ac-y companying drawingsand broadly covered in the claims.

The drawings accompanying and forming part o ofthe specic-ationillustrated one practical em-l bodiment of the invention, but it is tobe understood that the structure may be modified or changed in variousways all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention. 5 Fig.1 is a plan and broken sectional view of a seat cushion embodying thefeatures of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a broken and partly sectional view as on substantially theplane of line 2--2 of Fig. 1; ,o Fig. 3 is a broken sectional detail onan en larged scale illustrating the yielding operation of the cushion; K

Fig. 4 is a broken-perspective view of the top pad and cover portion ofthe cushion;

Fig. 5 is a side view of a seat having back and bottom cushions ofthestructure, first shown. Fig. 6 is a broken, sectional detail of amodification. v

The seat cushion'form of invention shown in yo Figs. l, 2 and 3,comprisesa lower, supporting layer of laterally spaced, tubular,resilient column elements 1, resting on a suitable backing 8, an 'upperlayer of tubular, resilient column elements 9 in line with and designedto operate in the 5 spaces I0 between the lower columns and elasticwebbing II connecting the relatively oiset adjoining ends of the twosets of columns. These upper and lower relatively staggered columns andthe elastic connecting web II may all be molded in one piece of live,gum rubber with the walls of the columns sufficiently thick to formslightly compressible supports and the connecting `webbing somewhatthinner and more elastic to permit the posts'of onev set to Work downpast the posts of the other set substantially as indicated in Figure 3.In such operation the connected ends of the posts will be stretched openmore or less, under the pull of the connecting web, so that said postsserve as elastic tension, as well as compression members. Under extremeloading con- 5 ditions the posts 9 may actually bottom against thecushion backingI or support 8, preventing stretching of the elasticwebbing beyond the point r-of elastic limit.

To control and more or less limit the belling 10 out of the connectedends of the columns, they may be reinforced as by means of internalintegral diaphragms I2, which for air circulation purposes andregulation of tension may be perforated as indicated at I3. l5

The top portion of the cushion is shown as a' layer of live rubber I4supported on the upper ends of the upper columns and carrying a pad ofsponge rubber I5. An outer cover I 6 is indicated in Fig. 1 applied overthis sponge rubber 20 pad.

The top member I4 is `shown in the several views asa layer of gum rubbermolded with oppositely extending llets I1, I8 forming annular grooves orseats I9 on the underface of the 25 same to receive the ends of thetubular column elements 9. Suitable cement may be employed to secure thecolumns in these seats.

To aiord desiredventil-ation, openings may be provided in the backboard8 in line with the 30 openings I3 in the control diaphragms and in linewith the openings 2|, 22 in the top layer I 4 and paid I5, respectively.

The elastic web connecting the columns is shown as having a dependentflange 23 about the 35 side of the cushion and this flange is indicatedas thickened at the corners of the cushion to form an' arcuate,resilient corner-shaping brace and support 24, which may rest upon thebacking 8. Similarly, the top layer I4 may be formed with 40 dependentarcuate corner walls 25 in engagement with the rim' portion of theconnecting web above the lower arcuate corner pieces 24. The sides ofthe cushion may be closed in by flexible and more or less Vresilient;skirt portions 26 (Figs. 2 and 3) 45 dependent from or forming part ofthe top layer I4. As appears in Fig. 2, this skirt portion may bebrought down. over the curved corner pieces 25, 24 and lbe adhesivelysecured theretol and thence Ibe turned under and secured beneath thebacking 8'. g

The' construction disclosed provides a high degree of resiliency andmakes use of the elasticity of the` rubber both in compression and inte'nsion. The location ofthe upper posts or columns i connected endportions of the posts and the dlaphragms in the posts or tubes. Thestructure can be produced inexpensively by simple molding operations andwhile shown as a seat cushion,

it will be realized that it may be used wherever and for whateverpurposes acushioning eiect is desired. The structure is relatively lightin' weight and may be readily built up in the shapes required fordifferent forms of cushions. 'I'he stretching and compressing forces aredistributed and proportioned through the body of the cushion so thatundue strains are avoided and the cushion will retain its'elasticity andusefulness for the life of the rubber of which it is composed. Theconnected layers of resilient columns form a unit sulcient for ordinarycushioning purposes, but. if a deeper or more resilient structure isrequired, a second unit of this type may be placed on top of the rst, asin Fig. 6, with the posts of such unit located in line with the spacesbetween the columns of the rst unit. In such case an intermediateconnecting layer Ila may be provided having the seats I 9a in itsunderside for the tops of the columns of the lower unit and seats lsb inits'upper side for the bottom of the columns of the upper unit. In thissame view the bottom or backing 8a is shown as provided with positioningseats I9c for the columns of the lowermost unit.

The ared end portions of the columns are shown as tapered down to thelesser thickness of and to form in eEect actually the connecting web,the colums retaining their general characteristics as slightlycompressible supports. The? internal diaphragms I2 may be located at thebeginning of the tapered portions of the columns so as to hold the.heavier or main supporting portions of the columns generally in shapewhile'4 permitting the outward stretching of the tapered lend portionswhich merge into andmay in fact form the connecting web. Suilicientopenings may be .provided throughout the cushion, as indicated, toprevent the cushion from becoming air-bound in any way. t

I claim:

1. A cushion comprising a layer of relatively spaced tubular resilientcolumn elements, a superposed layer of tubular resilient column elementsvin line with and operablein the spaces between said ilrst columnelements, said column elements having ilared ends and tapering inthickness and connected together and .forming a webbing lextending onlyfrom the edge of column pull or said connecting webbing.

'within saidA adjoining ends of said column eleelements of one layer tothe edge of adjacent column elements of the other layer and havingsufcient stretch to enable the columns of one layer,V to work past therelatively oil'set columns of the-V other layer. f l 2. A cushioncomprising a layer of relatively spaced tubular resilient columnelements, a' superposed layer of tubular resilient column `elements inline with and operable in the spaces between said flrst columnelements.' and elastic webbing connecting the adjoining relativelyoffsetends of the columns of the' two layers andhaving suilicient stretch toenable the columns of one layer to work past the relatively onsetcolumns o! the other layer, and elastic diaphragme mentsnfor restrainingthe radial expansion o! said column elements occasioned bythe lateralaisopcv 3. A cushion comprising a layer of relatively spaced tubularresilient column elements, a superposed layer of4 tubular resilientcolumn elements in line with and operable in the spaces between said.rst column elements, and elastic webbing connecting the adjoiningrelatively oset ends of the columns of the two layers and havingsufficient stretch to enable the columns of one layer to work past therelatively oiset columns of the other layer, and elastic reinforcementsat the said adjoining ends of said column elements for` limitingthe/radialexpansion of the same underl the pull of said elastic webbing.

' 4. As an article of manufacture, a unit for cushion structurescomprising two layers of relatively spaced, tubular, resilient columnsarranged with the columns of one layer in line with the spaces betweenthe columns of the other layer and the adjoining relatively oilset endsof the columns connected by elastic webbing consisting of connectedthinned end portions of the columns of tapering thickness.

5. A cushion comprising a support, spaced tubular resilient columnsresting with their lower ends on' said support, spaced tubular,resilient columns above-and in line with the spaces between therst-mentioned tubular columns, elastic webbing connecting the adjoining,relatively oil'set ends of the two sets of columns and extending onlyfrom the edges of columns of one layer to the edges of adjacent columnsof the other layer and reinforcing means for the edge portions of saidconnecting webbing.

6. A cushion comprising a support, spaced tubular resilient columnsresting with their lower ends on said support, spaced tubular, resilientcolumns above andA in line with the spaces between the first-mentionedtubular columns, elas'- tic webbing connecting the adjoining, relativelyoffset ends of the two sets of columns and reinforcing means for theedge portions of said connecting webbing, including curved corner wallsresting on said support.

7. A cushion comprising a support, spaced tubular resilient columnsresting with their lower ends on .said support, spaced tubular,resilient columns above and in line with the spaces between thefirst-mentioned tubular columns, elastic webbing connecting theadjoining, relatively offset ends of the two sets of columns andextending only i'rom the edges of the columns of the otherv layer andreinforcing means for the edge portions of said connecting webbing',including a flange about the edge ofsaid webbing.

one layer` to the edges of adjacent columns of 8. A'cushion comprisingtubular, resilient com- :pression columns in-spaced substantiallyparallel relation, a second set of ltubular resilient compressioncolumns spaced in substantially parallel relation in line with thespaces between the mst-mentioned compression columns and elasticconnecting webbing between the adjoining, relatively odset ends of thetwo sets of columns, said connected ends of the columns being of taperedform and merging into said connecting webbing. and said webbing being oflesser thiol:-v nessthan the main wall portions of said tubularcompression columns.

9. A cushion comprising tubular, resilient compression -columns inspaced substantially parallel relation,- .ai second set of tubularresilient compression columns spaced in substantially paraliel relationin line with the spaces between the 4inst-mentioned -compression columnsand-ftelastic connecting `webbing between the adjoining, relativelyonset ends of the\two sets 'of columns.

said connected ends of the columns being of tapered form and merginginto said connecting webbing, and said webbing being of lesser thicknessthan the main wall portions of said tubular compression columns, andinternal 4diaphragms within saidcompression columns, substantially atthe beginning of said tapered end portions.

10.,A cushion comprising tubular, resilient compression columns spacedin substantially parallel relation, a secondset of tubular resilientcompression columns spaced in substantially parallel relation, andlcatedin line vwith the spaces between the first set of compression colt'of sponge rubber supported by the 11. A cushion comprising tubular'resilient compression columns spaced in substantially par allelrelation, a second set"of tubular resilient compression columns spacedin substantially parallel relation and located in line with and abovethe spaces between the rst set of .compression columns.. said tubularcolumns having flaring' ends tapering in thickness and connectedtogether in the form of an elastic webbing between the adjoiningrelatively oiIset ends of the two sets of columns, means for conning theedge portions of said connecting webbing and a. pad

tubular columns.

' JAMES N. NAULTY.

upper set of

